Ren???e is the concierge of a grand Parisian apartment building, home to members of the great and the good. Over the years she has maintained her carefully constructed persona as someone reliable but totally uncultivated, in keeping, she feels, with society's expectations of what a concierge should be. But beneath this fa???ade lies the real Ren???e: passionate about culture and the arts, and more knowledgeable in many ways than her employers with their outwardly successful but emotionally void lives. Down in her lodge, ...
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Ren???e is the concierge of a grand Parisian apartment building, home to members of the great and the good. Over the years she has maintained her carefully constructed persona as someone reliable but totally uncultivated, in keeping, she feels, with society's expectations of what a concierge should be. But beneath this fa???ade lies the real Ren???e: passionate about culture and the arts, and more knowledgeable in many ways than her employers with their outwardly successful but emotionally void lives. Down in her lodge, apart from weekly visits by her one friend Manuela, Ren???e lives resigned to her lonely lot with only her cat for company. Meanwhile, several floors up, twelve-year-old Paloma Josse is determined to avoid the pampered and vacuous future laid out for her, and decides to end her life on her thirteenth birthday. But unknown to them both, the sudden death of one of their privileged neighbours will dramatically alter their lives forever. By turn moving and hilarious, this unusual novel became the top-selling book in France in 2007 with sales of over 900,000 copies to-date. ??? The French publishing phenomenon of 2007 ??? from an initial print run of 4,000, sales of over 900,000 in hardback. ??? Translation rights sold to 34 countries ??? Cited in Paris Match magazine in ???highlights of 2007' along with the i-phone and facebook ??? Winner of the prestigious 2007 French booksellers award ??? To be published in English simultaneously in UK and US ??? Published in Italy in October 2007 with sales to date of 400,000 AUTHOR: ??? Muriel Barbery teaches philosophy. ??? L'Elegance du herisson is her second novel. Her first book, Une gourmandise (Gallimard, 2000) has been translated into twelve languages. This edition is now replaced by the B-Format Paperback edition ISBN 9781906040185
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I loved this book. The first half was hard reading, but I persevered. The last half of the book flew by with great charm. It finished with a stunning shock.
xenodad
Apr 11, 2013
Thought-provoking and a great read
This book has two narrators who are very different yet have much in common as their lives come together and intertwine. Philosophy becomes reality, as both are unwilling to live without the masks they have chosen. Unmasking takes place in unexpected ways. A great read, and a great book for discussion.
bookdiva
Oct 20, 2011
through the looking glass
The simply beautiful story people made me feel like I was walking through the Looking Glass and seeing some corners of myself, and viewing beautiful people that I will always remember. Witty, touching, warm and loving. I will read it again. . . and again.
culnanfort
Jul 10, 2010
Title is slightly deceiving
beautifully written story of two completely different yet oh so alike individuals!
bibliophile06
May 20, 2010
Elegantly written!
This very beautifully written book is full of gems of wisdom and insight. I found myself underlining whole passages every few pages. It's a bit philosophical and the vocabulary is occasionally above the average reader's level, but it's well worth the effort to read to the end. The main characters change and grow to discover that life does have meaning and purpose.
